Law adds protections for N.J.'s for developmentally disabled

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John C. Ensslin

Gov.Chris Christie consults with Martha Cray, whose son William Earl Cray (pictured), 33, died six weeks ago, while while the Governor speaks with Tom Komninos, left, and Aileen Rivera, second from left, after signing “Stephen Komninos’ Law” to strengthen protections for people with developmental disabilities at the Governor's Office in Trenton, N.J. on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. This legislation, named for a 22-year-old who died in a local group home, is the result of a collaboration with Stephen’s father, Tom, among other parental advocates and Senate President Stephen Sweeney.(Photo: Tim Larsen/governor's office)

Gov. Chris Christie on Friday signed into law protective measures designed to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with developmental disabilities.

The bill is known as Stephen Komninos' Law, named after a 22-year-old with intellectual disabilities who died in 2007. Between 2004 and 2007, Komninos suffered 16 separate "substantiated incidents of abuse," according to bill sponsor Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth. Komninos was taken by an employee of the South Jersey home he lived in on a trip to 7-Eleven, where he was left unsupervised against medical orders, choked on a bagel and died.

The new law represents several years of work by the Legislature and advocates to increase state oversight of programs for the developmentally disabled. The law sets a range of requirements for the Department of Human Services to follow at group homes and care facilities. They include: the department must make two unannounced visits annually to group homes and apartments to check for abuse or neglect; drug testing of direct care staff members in programs and housing funded by the Division of Developmental Disabilities; increased criminal penalties for failure to report abuse; and increasing the involvement of families of people with disabilities.

Christie signed the law at a Friday afternoon ceremony in Trenton in front of advocates and victims' family members.

"I'm proud to be a part of strengthening our commitment to protecting people with developmental disabilities while giving their families greater say — and I hope along with that, a greater peace of mind for the well-being of their loved ones," Christie said.

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Englewood, is one of the many sponsors who praised Christie's signature of the bill.

“This day has been a long time in the making,” she said. “I know we can never erase the pain that the Komninos family has endured, but my hope is that they can find a measure of comfort in the fact that a great deal of good has come out of one of their darkest moments."